1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments relate to a system and method for deploying a vehicle safety system based on a rotational tendency, direction, and/or velocity of a vehicle.
2. Background Art
With reference to conventional crash sensor systems, a vehicle may include a number of crash sensors systems that are designed to generate signals indicative of vehicle operation. The crash sensors incorporated within a vehicle may include acceleration sensors, pressure sensors, and/or rotational sensors. The conventional crash sensor system may further include a controller that may receive the signals transmitted by the crash sensors. The controller may use the signals received in order to determine whether the vehicle has been involved in a frontal, side, or roll-over crash. Unfortunately, conventional crash sensor systems are designed to protect an occupant of a vehicle according to a specific crash mode (e.g., frontal, side, roll-over crash) by deploying a corresponding safety system (e.g., frontal airbags deployed during a frontal crash, pelvic and curtain airbags deployed during a side and/or roll-over crash).
For example, a vehicle may include a pair of front accelerometer sensors located near or about a front end of the vehicle. The front accelerometer sensors may operate to generate a pair of accelerometer signals indicative of acceleration along a longitudinal axis about the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle may further include a central accelerometer sensor located near or about a central portion of the vehicle. The central accelerometer sensor may operate to generate an acceleration signal indicative of acceleration along a longitudinal axis about the center of gravity of the vehicle. The acceleration signals generated by the pair of front accelerometer sensors and the central acceleration sensor may be transmitted to the controller.
Because conventional crash systems process the received signals according to a specific crash mode, the controller may process the received acceleration signals according to a front crash mode and may use the received signals in order to determine whether the vehicle has been involved in a frontal crash. For example, if the controller determines that the vehicle is involved in a frontal crash, the controller may deploy a number of frontal safety systems (e.g., frontal airbags and/or one or more seatbelt pretensioners).
Likewise, conventional crash sensor systems may include pressure sensors mounted within a frame of a vehicle door and a central accelerometer sensor located near the central portion of the vehicle. The central accelerometer sensor may operate to generate acceleration signals indicative of acceleration along a lateral axis about the center of gravity of the vehicle. Again, the controller may process the received signals according to a side crash mode and may use the received signals in order to determine whether the vehicle has been involved in a side crash. For example, if the controller determines that the vehicle is involved in a side crash, the controller may deploy a number of side safety systems (e.g., side airbags and/or overhead side curtain airbags).